Sharklets on the A330-200 could nudge the twinjet's range closer to the capability of the rival Boeing 787-8.

He said initial results indicated improvements which exceeded early estimates of 3.4%.

Leahy said Airbus was "studying" the possibility of putting sharklets on the A330, and added: "Right now we're still several months away from a decision."

The process was complex, he said, because the A330 already has winglets, so the benefit of sharklets would have to be clear, and the airframer needed to analyse wing loading - particularly because it was also trying to raise the A330-200's maximum take-off weight to 240t.

He said the airframer would "ideally" look for a retrofit as well as new-build solution, but pointed out that Airbus could not indicate a production date until it had determined the nature of the sharklet design. "We don't know what 'it' is," said Leahy.

Leahy added that Airbus would also like to raise the take-off weight of its A330-300, to "the same" level of 240t.